Richard LH

Discussing whether Alexander Campbell is getting fewer main roles than he should. FLOSS raised the topic again on Monday in response to a point I made some time back.

Firstly, as for surveys, virtually every organisation now seems wants your feedback and experience at ever possible opportunity. It is becoming quite ridiculous, and tends to make me highly sceptical of any reported news that is based on some survey or other. I now tend to ignore all such requests. I don’t really mind checking social media for RB information, and getting access thereby to a different slant on things, including the various related links, pictures, videos and personal views expressed. I am no great expert, user or advocate of social media otherwise, but the ROH Twitter and Facebook accounts do seem to attract a reasonable following and seem relatively harmless and informative. I also like the ROH YouTube channel. However, not personally being an opera buff, I would prefer the RB to have its own, separate, social media presence. I also agree that it would be preferable to keep the ROH’s own website updated for “breaking” news, as well as using their social media. Otherwise (as previously stated!) from my personal experience I find myself in the main an unapologetic fan of the ROH as a place, and of its staff, and its website. I can’t think of any other equivalent venue that is so user-friendly in terms of information on productions, casting and ease of booking. I am not immune from joining in with the occasional moan about these things from time to time, but then I tend remember how much I really have to be grateful to the ROH for, since rediscovering the place over the last year or so, and comparing it with other equivalent organisations, and their websites, which I find so inferior. And no, I am not Alex Beard incognito! A couple of recent examples of good customer service: I mistakenly ordered two tickets online that I thought were returns for that same evening, but they were for a later date, for a different cast. Realising my mistake after the payment had been made, I rang the ROH to ask what could be done. The assistant was extremely helpful, not only cancelling the booking immediately, but finding alternative last minute tickets for us for that same evening. There was a temporary glitch the other day which meant the website was not recognising me as a Friend. I sent an email to point this out, and in under an hour an assistant had rung me to apologise, to explain exactly what had happened, and to confirm that she had re-set my account to correct the fault.

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/static.roh.org.uk/for/pdfs/The-Royal-Ballet-Casting-Summer-Season.pdf

...the background to which is explained in this response from the ROH: Chris Shipman (Head of Brand Engagement and Social Media) responded on 28 February 2019 at 10:58am Hi Elle, We were thrilled that members of the company were nominated for, and won, National Dance Awards We celebrated these wins on social media: https://twitter.com/TheRoyalBallet/status/1097553415239069697 https://www.facebook.com/royaloperahouse/videos/2064020953712765/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BuB8wndhGHf/ Moving such announcements to our social media platforms - a decision based on user behaviour - allows us to spread the news far more widely. The best place therefore to receive information about breaking announcements is social media, and in particular our Twitter profile. Best wishes, Chris

With a month to go, I thought a topic for news/comments, pre-performance, might be useful. I am pleased to see from social media that on 20 February Steven McRae began rehearsals at the RB with Akane Takada, her debut as Juliet being set for 28 March.

Thanks Lizbie. It just seemed such a large block, appearing out of the blue.

Suddenly (at least I think this is the case) there is a whole block of over 100 seats for sale for Don Q 01 April (Culbertson / Ball) - all in a virtual block, to the rear of the Orchestra Stalls. This seems rather strange, given all other areas for that performance are shown as sold out, as are all performances prior to that date; plus for the following last 2 performances (03 and 04 April) there are currently only 17 and 6 tickets available respectively. Can anyone offer a likely explanation for the sudden release of this large block of OS seats for the 01 April? other than April Fools Day of course......

But apart from Basilio in Don Q (for which 3 of the 5 slots were only given to him as a stand-in for McRae) the roles he has been/is to be dancing at the RB are not really comparable to being the major male lead in full length productions such as Manon, Swan Lake, Mayerling, La Bayadere, or Romeo and Juliet - none of which AC has been given as a first choice (his des Grieux being another stand-in for McRae).

Well if there are such principals (I would be interested to know who you have in mind capybara) I don't think it will be due to lack of height, indeed thinking of the other principals, the idea that the taller ones are regarded as innately "useful" simply, or mainly, because of their height over and above any other factor, does not seem to wash. That is my point really - not that height has no relevance at all, but there are many other considerations as well.

The idea that Kevin needs to make “special provision” for Campbell or others due to height is your description, Floss, not mine. I suggest the respective height of partners is just one of the many factors in determining role casting, along with technique, strength, stamina, partnering skills, acting ability, age, experience, and indeed public popularity. Fairness and due respect for all the company members are also factors that cannot be excluded. Hence I disagreed with your earlier generalised statement that a fine dancer with a winning stage personality is never going to be as “useful” as a tall (male) dancer. On that basis you could equally say a tall female dancer is never going to be as "useful" as a short one. What a dancer has in terms of their natural body form is only one consideration. Indeed you suggest this yourself when it comes to Ball, in describing him as not having an ideal body for a dancer but possessing "other perhaps more valuable assets". Consequently I doubt that height was really a satisfactory explanation for these casting decisions, such that Kevin could not accommodate Campbell for even one Romeo performance. Other relatively short dancers (Corrales, Sambe and McRae) were offered 7 slots between them (actually 8, as Sambe also dances in a Schools Matinee). There are 5 slots for "short" first soloists and none for the "short" principal Campbell. Also height has not prevented Sambe being paired in Don Q with Naghdi ( taller when on pointe), nor indeed Campbell being partnered with Naghdi in Two Pigeons as well as various roles with Choe, who I believe is similar in height to Naghdi, and with Magri in Don Q (I am not sure of her height but she does not appear to be quite in the "petite" category). Indeed are there that many RB ballerinas that would have to be ruled out as a potential partners for Campbell due to height? Campbell was also left out of Manon as des Grieux until McRae was injured, and left out entirely as Siegfried in Swan Lake and as Solor in La B. You say it doesn’t matter if he is not originally picked in such roles, because he picks up some when others are injured, but that is just leaving things to chance – I think there are many admirers of Campbell who would far prefer him to be respected as a first choice rather than a potential stand-in. You also now suggest Campbell is not one of the “younger” dancers who needs to be given opportunities as the company makes provision for the future. But at 33, and only a principal since 2016, he is by no means old, nor a dancer that has been dancing these roles over a very lengthy period at the RB. As you say, he is a fine dancer with a winning stage personality. If he is not going to be given these opportunities as a "first choice" principal now, then when?

Yes the lighting was too dark in the (encore) screening I saw, especially in the long shots. It made it difficult at times for all the nuances of the dancing properly to stand out. The street scenes are really sunny and bright ballet as performed live in the ROH, so it is a shame that this seems to have been lost, at least in some cinemas. Certainly worth pointing this out to the ROH (again - La Bayadere was also too dark for me) for anyone that had the same experience. With that exception, I thought the screening was well filmed and well presented and of course the wonderful dancing spoke for itself (to mix a metaphor).

I find the same thing Dawnstar. This is the best I could achieve last night.

Lara Turk. She also doubles this role with that of Dulcinea on occasions.

No he definitely wasn't! Another fantastic performance tonight...

A couple of reviews that I think have not yet been picked up.... https://cultureandanarchy.org/2019/02/20/the-royal-ballets-don-quixote/amp/?__twitter_impression=true https://www.thejc.com/culture/dance/dance-review-don-quixote-1.480330

Not really; they flirt, tease and show off in public, but (discounting of course the viewing audience) their love making at the beginning of Act 2 is private, and quite moving and tender at times - particularly so with Takada and Campbell, I thought. For example there is a brief moment when everything seemed to stop, just after she affects to be cross about his stolen kiss, and they look at each other each other lovingly before she falls into his arms and he lays her down. And later Campbell steals more than one kiss from her outstretched arm when she points for him to fetch her shawl. Lovely characterisation from the pair, and I was yet again blown away in particular by Takada's wonderful technique and control. Beautiful how time seems to stand still as she slows down an arm or leg movement; dazzling how she combines this with seemingly effortless high leaps, high kicks, and lengthy, fast turns. A triumphal virtuoso performance, and extremely well received in the theatre. So pleased for her!

I don't know about that rehearsal Jenny but as well as Avis playing Lorenzo, I think there were one or two differences from your list of ladies/men groups when the Takada/Campbell cast played on Saturday. Anyway this is the main cast list for tonight, as now displayed on the ROH website. I don't think they will publish any more details about the groups, so that will be an observational test. On Saturday Lara Turk was the lucky tavern girl who becomes Gamache's final bride choice, as well as Dulcinea. Cast DON QUIXOTE CHRISTOPHER SAUNDERS SANCHO PANZA PHILIP MOSLEY LORENZO GARY AVIS KITRI AKANE TAKADA BASILIO ALEXANDER CAMPBELL GAMACHE THOMAS WHITEHEAD ESPADA VALENTINO ZUCCHETTI MERCEDES MAYARA MAGRI KITRI’S FRIENDS YUHUI CHOE, BEATRIZ STIX-BRUNELL TWO MATADORS NICOL EDMONDS, BENJAMIN ELLA GYPSY COUPLE ITZIAR MENDIZABAL, TOMAS MOCK THE QUEEN OF THE DRYADS FUMI KANEKO AMOUR ANNA ROSE O’SULLIVAN DULCINEA LARA TURK FANDANGO COUPLE GINA STORM-JENSEN, NICOL EDMONDS TOWNSPEOPLE, MATADORS, ARTISTS OF THE ROYAL BALLET, GYPSIES, DRYADS STUDENTS AND JUNIOR ASSOCIATES OF THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL

A review of Saturday's performance with the Takada/Campbell cast. http://seenandheard-international.com/2019/02/carlos-acostas-don-quixote-returns-to-the-royal-ballet-and-is-vibrant-and-enthusiastically-danced/

Yes I know Xandra, sorry I didn't post this in response to your request...instead I was going to respond to that by linking to the Guardian pics of Yasmine and Marcelino, but Bluebird got there first!

Back to Don Quixote, here is a link to the Live Cinema cast list for tomorrow night.... http://static.roh.org.uk/showings/don-quixote-live-2019/en.pdf?_ga=2.162395900.1172474542.1550503105-1008816553.1550503105

Possibly not! Spring Season casting...

Yes Lizbie I was thinking the same, but wasn't sure if I was knowledgeable enough to make that judgement.

The last four were in the Friday cast. Was anyone else there last night?

Yes, the role does demand a fair bit of fairly strenuous technical and fast dancing, along with the pantomime skills ( I was really feeling for Yudes' foot after the countless times Don Q seemingly stamps it with his "lance"!) Welcome to the party, Floss !